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United States Patent |
5,757,436
|
Songer
|
May 26, 1998
|
Image processor system
Abstract
An image-processor system for compensating for accumulated phase-and-gain
errors incurred during transmission of a video signal over a
communications channel. The image-processor system comprises an
initial-video processor, an input-video processor, a feature-video
processor, a frame buffer, an RGB-output processor, an output-video
processor, and a control processor. The initial-video processor generates
a composite video signal. The input-video processor converts the composite
video signal into digital-component signal information. The feature-video
processor processes the digital-component signal information as processed
component video information. The frame buffer re-establishes broadcast
timing standards in the processed component video information to generate
time-base corrected digital information. The RGB-output processor decodes
the time-base corrected digital information into RGB analog and digital
outputs. The analog RGB outputs are output directly. The output-video
processor reconstructs the digital RGB outputs into an analog-composite
video-signal format and an analog-component video signal component. The
control processor loads and updates the parameters used by the input-video
processor, the feature-video processor, and the output-video processor in
processing the composite video signal.
Inventors:
|
Songer; Jimmie D. (Burleson, TX)
|
Assignee:
|
Magma, Inc. (Fort Worth, TX)
|
Appl. No.:
|
667550 |
Filed:
|
June 21, 1996 |
Current U.S. Class: |
348/470; 348/447; 348/448; 348/457; 348/458; 348/613 |
Intern'l Class: |
H04N 007/01; H04N 011/20; H04N 007/04 |
Field of Search: |
348/447,448,457,458,459,443,715,714,613,608,470
|
References Cited
U.S. Patent Documents
4091414 | May., 1978 | Chow | 358/174.
|
4628362 | Dec., 1986 | Waehner | 358/174.
|
5225910 | Jul., 1993 | Sugimori et al. | 358/167.
|
5227883 | Jul., 1993 | Dischert et al. | 358/160.
|
5299002 | Mar., 1994 | Funayama | 348/607.
|
5386249 | Jan., 1995 | Strolle et al. | 348/701.
|
5402179 | Mar., 1995 | Okada | 348/607.
|
5486874 | Jan., 1996 | Songer | 348/600.
|
5598225 | Jan., 1997 | Songer | 348/711.
|
Primary Examiner: Peng; John K.
Assistant Examiner: Srivastava; Vivek
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Newman, Jr.; David B., Bailey; Suzin C.
Claims
I claim:
1. An image-processor system, having a video input and a video output, for
compensating accumulated phase-and-gain errors incurred during
transmission of a video signal over a communications channel and resulting
in a distorted video signal, and for outputting a corrected,
broadcast-standard video signal, comprising:
an initial-video processor, coupled to said input, for normalizing the
distorted video signal and generating a composite video signal; and
a digital processor including,
an input-video processor, coupled to said initial-video processor, for
converting the composite video signal into a digital-component signal
information;
a feature-video processor, coupled to said input-video processor, for
processing the digital-component signal information as processed component
video information;
a frame buffer, coupled to said feature-video processor, for
re-establishing broadcast timing standards in the processed component
video information to generate time-base corrected digital information;
an RGB-output processor, coupled to said frame buffer, for decoding the
time-base corrected digital information to generate analog RGB outputs for
direct output and to generate digital RGB outputs;
an output-video processor, coupled to said RGB-output processor and to said
video output, for reconstructing the digital-RGB outputs into an
analog-composite video-signal format and an analog-component video-signal
format; and
a control processor, coupled to said input-video processor, said
feature-video processor, and said output-video processor, for initializing
and updating a set of parameters used to process the distorted video
signal.
2. The image-processor system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a
switch input, coupled to said control processor, for inputting values for
the set of parameters, the set of parameters including at least two of
burst phase, chroma levels, picture sharpness, noise, and brightness and
contrast adjustments.
3. The image-processor system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising
an external-computer input, coupled to said control processor, for
inputting values for the set of parameters, the set of parameters
including at least two of, burst phase, chroma levels, picture sharpness,
noise, and brightness and contrast adjustments.
4. An image-processor system for compensating for accumulated
phase-and-gain errors incurred during transmission of a video signal over
a communications channel and resulting in a distorted video signal, and
for generating a corrected, broadcast-standard video signal, comprising:
an initial-video processor having a video input and a video output, said
initial-video processor including,
a high-pass filter and inverting amplifier, coupled to said input, for
filtering and inverting the distorted video signal received at the input
as an inverted-filtered video signal;
a postcorrection phase-and-gain restorer, coupled to said high-pass filter
and inverting amplifier, for restoring a signal level of the
inverted-filtered video signal as a restored inverted-filtered video
signal;
a wideband-video delay line, coupled to said input, for delaying the
distorted video signal as a delayed video signal;
a precorrection phase-and-gain restorer, coupled to said wideband-video
delay line, for restoring the delayed video signal as a restored-delayed
video signal; and
a combining network, coupled to said video output, to said postcorrection
phase-and-gain restorer, and to said precorrection phase-and-gain
restorer, for combining the restored inverted-filtered video signal and
the restored-delayed video signal, and outputting a composite video signal
to said video output; and
a digital processor, coupled to the output of the initial-video processor,
said digital processor including,
an input-video processor, coupled to the output of said initial-video
processor, for converting the composite video signal into
digital-component signal information;
a feature-video processor, coupled to said input-video processor, for
processing the digital-component signal information to generate processed
component video information;
a frame buffer, coupled to said feature-video processor, for
re-establishing broadcast timing standards in the processed component
video information to generate time-base corrected digital information;
an RGB-output processor, coupled to said frame buffer, for decoding the
time-base corrected digital information to generate analog RGB outputs for
direct output and to generate digital RGB outputs; and
an output-video processor, coupled to said RGB-output processor, for
reconstructing the digital RGB outputs into an analog-composite
video-signal format and an analog-component video-signal format.
5. The image-processor system as set forth in claim 4 with said high-pass
filter and inverting amplifier including a class A amplifier biased in a
linear region of a characteristic curve of said class A amplifier.
6. The image-processor system as set forth in claim 4 with said
wideband-video delay line delaying said video signal by at least a
half-cycle at a subcarrier frequency.
7. The image-processor system as set forth in claim 4 with said
precorrection phase-and-gain restorer including an amplifier having a gain
of one for buffering the delayed video signal.
8. The image-processor system as set forth in claim 4 with said combining
network including a resistor network for combining the restored inverted
video signal and the restored-delayed video signal to generate the
composite video signal.
9. The image-processor system as set forth in claim 4 further comprising:
a control processor, coupled to said input-video processor, said
feature-video processor, and said output-video processor, for initializing
and updating a set of parameters used to process the composite video
signal.
10. The image-processor system as set forth in claim 9, further comprising
a switch input, coupled to said control processor, for inputting values
for the set of parameters, the set of parameters including at least two of
burst phase, chroma levels, picture sharpness, noise, and brightness and
contrast adjustments.
11. The image-processor system as set forth in claim 9, further comprising
an input, coupled to said control processor, for inputting values for the
set of parameters, the set of parameters including at least two of burst
phase, chroma levels, picture sharpness, noise, and brightness and
contrast adjustments.
12. An image-processor system for compensating accumulated phase-and-gain
errors of a distorted video signal, comprising:
an initial-video processor having a video input and a video output, said
initial-video processor including,
high-pass filter-and-amplifier means, coupled to said input, having a
bandwidth characteristic inverse to a low-pass characteristic encountered
during transmission of the video signal over the communications channel,
for filtering the video signal as a filtered video signal and for
inverting the filtered video signal as an inverted-filtered video signal;
postcorrection phase-and-gain restorer means for restoring the
inverted-filtered video signal to a restored signal level, thereby
generating a restored inverted-filtered video signal;
delay means, coupled to said input, for delaying the video signal as a
delayed video signal;
precorrection phase-and-gain restorer means, coupled to said delay means,
for restoring the delayed video signal as a restored-delayed video signal;
combiner means for combining the restored inverted-filtered video signal
and the restored-delayed video signal to generate a composite video signal
at said video output; and
digital-processing means, coupled to said video output, for digitizing the
composite video signal as digital-component signal information, for
re-establishing timing broadcast standards in the digital-component signal
information, and for reconstructing the digital-component signal
information into an analog format.
13. The image-processor system as set forth in claim 12, said
digital-processing means comprising:
an input-video processor, coupled to said initial-video processor, for
converting the composite video signal into a digital-component signal
information;
a feature-video processor, coupled to said input-video processor, for
processing the digital-component signal information as processed component
video information;
a frame buffer, coupled to said feature-video processor, for
re-establishing broadcast timing standards in the processed component
video information, to generate time-base corrected digital information;
an RGB-output processor, coupled to said frame buffer, for decoding the
time-base corrected digital information to generate analog-RGB output for
direct output and to generate digital-RGB output;
an output-video processor, coupled to said RGB-output processor and to said
video output, for reconstructing the digital-RGB output into at least one
of an analog-composite video-signal format and an analog-component
video-signal format; and
a control processor, coupled to said input-video processor, said
feature-video processor, and said output-video processor, for initializing
and updating a set of parameters used by said input-video processor, said
feature-video processor, and said output-video processor in processing the
composite video signal.
14. The image-processor system as set forth in claim 13, further comprising
a switch input, coupled to said control processor, for inputting values
for the set of parameters, the set of parameters including at least two of
burst phase, chroma levels, picture sharpness, noise, and brightness and
contrast adjustments.
15. The image-processor system as set forth in claim 13, further comprising
an external-computer input, coupled to said control processor, for
inputting values for the set of parameters, the set of parameters
including at least two of burst amplitude, burst phase, chroma levels,
picture sharpness, noise, and brightness and contrast adjustments.
16. The image-processor system as set forth in claim 12 or 13, with said
postcorrection phase-and-gain restorer means including means for variably
adjusting the inverted-filtered video signal to the restored-signal level.
17. The image-processor system as set forth in claim 12 or 13, with said
high-pass filter-and-amplifier means including a class A amplifier biased
in a linear region of a characteristic curve of said class A amplifier.
18. The image-processor system as set forth in claim 12 or 13, with said
delay means delaying said video signal by at least a half-cycle at a
subcarrier frequency.
19. The image-processor system as set forth in claim 12 or 13, with said
precorrection phase-and-gain restorer means including an amplifier having
a gain of one for buffering the delayed video signal.
20. The image-processor system as set forth in claim 12 or 13 with said
combiner means including a resistor network for combining the restored
inverted-filtered video signal and the restored delayed video signal to
generate the composite video signal.
21. A method of correcting distortion errors incurred during transmission
of a video signal, comprising the steps of:
filtering the video signal with a bandwidth characteristic inverse to a
low-pass effect encountered during transmission of the video signal;
inverting the filtered video signal, thereby generating an
inverted-filtered video signal;
delaying the video signal by an odd-integer multiple of at least a
half-cycle at a subcarrier frequency, thereby generating a delayed video
signal;
combining the inverted-filtered video signal and the delayed video signal
to generate a composite video signal;
converting the composite video signal into digital-component signal
information;
processing the digital-component signal information as processed component
video information;
re-establishing broadcast timing standards in the processed component video
information to generate time-base corrected digital information;
decoding the time-base corrected digital information to generate analog-RGB
information and digital-RGB information; and
reconstructing the digital-RGB output into at least one of an
analog-composite video-signal format and an analog-component video-signal
format.
22. The method as set forth in claim 21, the step of processing further
including the steps of:
contouring video information;
reducing noise in the video information; and
bandpass-equalizing the video information.
23. The method as set forth in claim 21 further including the steps of:
adjusting the inverted-filtered video signal to a restored-signal level;
and
adjusting the delayed video signal to a restored-signal level.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to color television, more particularly to a process
and apparatus for improving the structure of the video signal, which can
be updated by a processor with parameters stored in a memory.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELEVANT ART
The National Television System Committee (NTSC) commercial-broadcast
standard is used in the United States and other countries. The
NTSC-standard video signal consists of a high-frequency-wideband-luminance
component and simultaneous-chrominance components on a reduced subcarrier
for overall-bandwidth conservation. In the NTSC standard, the monochrome
image is the basic structural element of the color image. For a color
image, coarser-image elements convert the monochrome image into a color
image. The high-frequency luminance information is applied equally to each
color channel.
The chrominance information components, R-Y or B-Y, occupy approximately 1
MHz .+-.0.5 MHz of bandwidth, while the luminance-information component,
Y, is maintained at approximately 4 MHz of bandwidth. Thus the chrominance
components, R-Y and B-Y, cannot carry as many pixels as can the luminance
component, Y.
Signal distortion and the resulting degradation of the video image is the
result of changes in the waveform occurring in a transduction or
transmission medium. The principal sources of signal distortion are the
relation between input and output at a given frequency, non-uniform
transmission at different frequencies, and phase shift related to
frequency. These sources may be particularly severe in transmission lines,
such as cable, and transmitter radio frequency (RF) and receiver RF
stages. These sources also can occur in video-recording equipment.
Signal degradation occurs to a video signal when a multiple-bandwidth
modulated carrier having R-Y, B-Y, and Y components, utilizing different
bandwidths for each component, meets capacitive, resistive, or inductive
reactance. The capacitive, resistive, or inductive reactance affects the
different components in the carrier signal, causing differential
phase-and-gain errors between the three components. The corruption of the
various components of the signal varies inasmuch as the components,
themselves, vary within the signal.
Further distortion accumulates in editing, production, and post production.
Errors also develop during recording and playback.
Many solutions have been advanced for enhancing the video image by
correcting these problems within the normal circuitry of a
color-television receiver, either direct view or projection. In most cases
the solutions are applied to the signal as it enters the receiver without
regard to the corruption the signal has encountered in the transmission
and reception processes.
Among the many solutions offered in the prior art are re-establishing a
predetermined-phase relationship of a chrominance component with a
reference, generating a variety of correction signals which are then added
to the video signal, delaying two lines of a signal and adding the
interpolation of the chrominance component back into the first signal, and
improving the response by adding a high-frequency luminance component
determined by proportions of various transitions of the chrominance
component. These solutions, however, typically engender motion matrix
problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A general object of the present invention is an image-processor system of a
composite/Y:C nature which manipulates a signal whereby synchronization,
chrominance, and luminance components are combined, gathering pre-delayed
I and Q information plus Y information, to correct for video distortion as
it relates to time-base correction for uncontrolled picture-group delays,
and to reduce amplitude distortion from the video signal.
A further object of the present invention is an image-processor system with
controlling software for modifying video-processor parameters based on
total distortion received at the image-processor system, and for allowing
the user to selectively and interactively modify the processor parameters.
Another object of-the invention is restoring the overall composite
information, generating signal correction which restores
phase-and-amplitude reference of the composite signal to approximately
that of the original signal prior to transmission without changing the
bandwidth or the system standards, while avoiding the motion problems of
the prior art solutions.
According to the present invention, as embodied and broadly described
herein, an image-processor system is provided comprising an initial-video
processor and digital-processing means. The digital-processing means
includes an input-video processor, a feature-video processor, a frame
buffer, an RGB-output processor, an output-video processor, and a control
processor.
The initial-video processor compensates for accumulated phase-and-gain
errors encountered during transmission of the video signal over a
communications channel. The initial-video processor normalizes
distorted-input signals by correcting for chrominance-group delays,
luminance-group delays, and differential phase-and-gain incurred during
the recording and transmission of television signals. In separating a
video signal into a luminance component and a chrominance component, the
initial-video processor can skew the luminance component and the
chrominance component, referenced one to the other, both in time and
amplitude, to correct for delay and distortion incurred in transmission.
The initial-video processor includes a high-pass filter-and-amplifier, a
postcorrection phase-and-gain restorer, a wideband-video delay line, a
precorrection phase-and-gain restorer, and a combining network. The
high-pass filter has a bandwidth characteristic which is approximately
inverse to a low-pass characteristic encountered by the video signal
during its transmission over the communications channel, or during
recording and playback on a recording device. The amplifier associated
with the high-pass filter inverts the high-pass filtered video signal. The
postcorrection phase-and-gain restorer adjusts the inverted-filtered video
signal to output a restored video signal.
The wideband-video delay line delays the input video by a half-cycle, or
more, at the subcarrier frequency, or chrominance frequency, to generate a
delayed video signal. The subcarrier signal is a well known part of the
video signal. The subcarrier frequency is the frequency of the subcarrier
portion of the video signal. The precorrection phase-and-gain restorer
buffers the delayed video signal. The combining network combines the
restored video signal and the delayed video signal. The output of the
combining network is a composite video signal.
The digital-processing means reshapes and reprocesses the composite video
signal to conform to NTSC, PAL or other selected broadcast standard with
time-base correction.
The input-video processor converts the composite video signal into digital
component-signal information.
The feature-video processor processes the digital component-signal
information to contour the video information, reduce noise, and
bandpass-equalize the video information into processed component video
information.
The frame buffer re-establishes broadcast timing standards such as NTSC,
PAL or SECAM in the processed-component video information to generate
time-base corrected digital information.
The RGB-output processor converts the time-base corrected digital
information to RGB outputs and provides digital RGB signals to the
output-video processor and analog RGB signals as direct output.
The output-video processor converts the digital RGB signals into an analog
video-signal format such as composite or component.
The control processor provides input to the input-video processor, the
feature-video processor, and the output-video processor. The control
processor sends code information derived from switches on a front panel or
from a software-controlled external computer to enable the digital
processor to enhance the output of the initial-video processor. In the
absence of switch or computer information, the control processor contains
default parameters stored in a hard-coded control-processor memory for use
by the input-video processor, the feature-video processor, and the
output-video processor.
The image-processor system broadly loads a default set of parameters stored
in a hard-coded control-processor memory when power is supplied. The
control processor determines which video processors are on-line, i.e.,
which of the input-video processor, the feature-video processor, or the
output-video processor are connected. A set of parameters stored in an
electronically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) is then
examined via the control-processor software to determine the validity of
the stored parameters. If the parameters are valid, then the stored set of
parameters is downloaded to the input-video processor, the feature-video
processor, and the output-video processor. If the parameters are not
valid, then the input-video processor, the feature-video processor, and
the output-video processor continue to function with the default set of
parameters.
The user can modify the parameters stored in the EEPROM based on the nature
and extent of video distortion as measured with commercially-available
test equipment or by the user's judgement. If the new parameters are
acceptable, then the new parameters are stored in the control-processor
EEPROM or the software-controlled external computer. A "parameter valid"
warm-start pattern is written to the control-processor EEPROM and the new
parameters are loaded into the input-video processor, the feature-video
processor, and the output-video processor.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention are set forth in part in
the description which follows, and in part are obvious from the
description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects
and advantages of the invention also may be realized and attained by means
of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the
appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part
of the specification, illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention,
and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the
invention.
FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of the initial-video processor of the present
invention;
FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of the initial-video processor of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a drawing of a corrupted waveform;
FIG. 4 is a drawing of a corrected waveform;
FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the method of the initial-video processor;
FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the image-processor system of the present
invention indicating the input-and-output paths;
FIG. 7 is a block diagram of the microprocessor-controller software on a
power-up initialization;
FIG. 8 is a block diagram of the software for modifying the video-processor
parameters either in real time through switch inputs or via a software
download from an external computer; and
FIG. 9 is a flowchart of the method of the image-processor system.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Reference now is made in detail to the present preferred embodiments of the
invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings,
wherein like reference numerals indicate like elements throughout the
several views.
The present invention broadly provides a novel system and method for
improving the image of a television signal at a receiver. An
image-processor system may be embodied in discrete electronic components,
as an integrated circuit, as a digital-signal processor, as an
application-specific integrated circuit, or as any other equivalent
circuit providing the same means and performing the same functions as
described herein. Using the teachings of the present invention, equivalent
circuits and embodiments would be known to those skilled in the art.
The image-processor system has a video input and a video output, with a
video signal being applied to the input, and a broadcast-standard video
signal in analog form coming from the output. The video signal applied at
the input of the image-processor system, is the video signal to be
normalized through compensation for accumulated phase-and-gain errors
encountered during transmission over a communication channel, during
recording and playback of a video recorder, or during equivalent processes
which represent potential sources of signal distortion. The accumulated
phase-and-gain errors may be due to bandwidth effects as the video signal,
modulating a radio-frequency (RF) carrier signal, passes through a cable
or transmission line, RF circuitry of a transmitter, or circuitry in the
front end of a receiver. Typically, a cable, a transmission line, or a
front end of a receiver has a low-pass frequency characteristic which
tends to limit the amount of the video signal being passed therethrough.
The image-processor system broadly comprises an initial-video processor and
digital-processing means. The digital-processing means includes an
input-video processor, a feature-video processor, a frame buffer, an
RGB-output processor, an output-video processor, and a control processor.
The initial-video processor is coupled between the input and the
input-video processor. The feature-video processor is coupled between the
input-video processor and the frame buffer. The RGB-output processor is
coupled between the frame buffer and the output-video processor. The
output-video processor is coupled to the video output. The control
processor is coupled to the input-video processor, the feature-video
processor, and the output-video processor. These processors are discussed
in turn, under respective headings.
Initial-Video Processor
The initial-video processor normalizes distorted-input signals by
correcting for chrominance-group delays, luminance-group delays, and
differential phase-and-gain errors incurred in recording and transmitting
television signals. The initial-video processor is fully described in U.S.
Pat. No. 5,486,874, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
The initial-video processor includes high-pass filter-and-amplifier means,
postcorrection phase-and-gain restorer means, delay means, precorrection
phase-and-gain restorer means, and combiner means. The high-pass
filter-and-amplifier means is coupled between the input of the
image-processor system, and postcorrection phase-and-gain restorer means.
The delay means is coupled between the input of the image-processor system
and the precorrection phase-and-gain restorer means. The postcorrection
phase-and-gain restorer means and the precorrection phase-and-gain
restorer means are coupled to combiner means.
The high-pass filter-and-amplifier means is for filtering a video signal.
The high-pass filter-and-amplifier means has a bandwidth characteristic
which preferably is inverse to the low-pass characteristic encountered
during transmission of the video signal over the communications channel,
or during recording and playback of the video signal in a video recorder.
As used herein, the low-pass characteristic includes those effects
encountered through the transmission medium, such as cable, transmission
lines, and other types of channels, and the input circuit of the receiver,
or equivalent effects in a video recorder. Ideally, the high-pass
filter-and-amplifier means has an amplitude-versus-frequency response
which is a reverse curve of the effects encountered by the video signal.
The high-pass filter-and-amplifier means pre-equalizes the video signal in
an inversely proportional mode.
The high-pass filter-and-amplifier means inverts the filtered video signal.
The high-pass filter-and-amplifier means typically phase-shifts the
filtered video signal by 180 degrees. The output of the high-pass
filter-and-amplifier means is denoted herein as an inverted-filtered video
signal.
The postcorrection phase-and-gain restorer means adjusts the lost gains and
prephases the delayed-group information of the inverted-filtered video
signal to the restored-signal level. The output signal from the
postcorrection phase-and-gain restorer means is denoted herein as a
restored video signal.
The delay means delays the video signal from the input by an odd-integer
multiple of a half-cycle, or more, at the subcarrier frequency to match
chroma-path delays. Preferably, the delay means delays the video signal by
at least a half-cycle at the subcarrier frequency. The output of the delay
means is denoted herein as a delayed video signal.
The precorrection phase-and-gain restorer means adjusts the delayed video
signal to the restored-signal level. The output of the precorrection
phase-and-gain restorer means is a restored delayed video signal. By
having the inverted-filtered video signal and the delayed video signal
amplified to the restored-signal level, compensation is more easily
effected at the combiner means.
The combiner means combines the restored video signal and the restored
delayed video signal to generate a composite video signal. The composite
video signal includes the effects of the restored video signal and the
delayed video signal.
In the exemplary arrangement of the initial-video processor shown in FIG.
1, the high-pass filter-and-amplifier means is embodied as a high-pass
filter-and-amplifier 11, the postcorrection phase-and-gain restorer means
is embodied as a postcorrection phase-and-gain restorer 12, the delay
means is embodied as a wideband-video delay line 13, the precorrection
phase-and-gain restorer means is embodied as a precorrection
phase-and-gain restorer 14, and the combiner means is embodied as a
combining network 15. The precorrection phase-and-gain restorer means may
also be embodied as a precorrection comb-equalizer restorer or as an
amplifier having a gain of one for buffering the delayed video signal. The
high-pass filter-and-amplifier 11 is coupled between the video input and
the postcorrection phase-and-gain restorer 12. The wideband-video delay
line 13 is coupled between the video input and the precorrection
phase-and-gain restorer 14. The combining network 15 is coupled to the
postcorrection phase-and-gain restorer 12 and to the precorrection
phase-and-gain restorer 14.
The circuitry of the initial-video processor may further include a voltage
amplifier 16 coupled to the output of the combining network 15, and
low-impedance amplifier 17 coupled to the output of the voltage amplifier
16. Additionally, a black-stretch and synchronization shaper 18 may be
coupled for controlling an output-video amplifier 19. The output-video
amplifier 19 is coupled to the low-impedance amplifier 17 and to the video
output.
The combining network 15 outputs a composite video signal. The voltage
amplifier 16 amplifies the composite video signal, and the low-impedance
amplifier 17 matches an impedance output of the voltage amplifier 16 to
the output-video amplifier 19. The output-video amplifier 19 outputs the
composite video signal.
The high-pass filter-and-amplifier 11 has a bandwidth characteristic
inverse to a low-pass characteristic encountered during transmission over
the communications channel or during recording and playback in a recording
device. Referring to FIG. 2, the high-pass filter-and-amplifier 11 may be
embodied as capacitor C2 and transistor T1. For an NTSC signal, the
capacitor C2 might be a fifty-picofarad capacitor. The high-pass
filter-and-amplifier 11 typically has a reactance which decreases 6 dB per
octave. The transistor T1 inverts the high-pass filtered video signal from
the capacitor C2.
As shown in FIG. 2, a class A amplifier working in a linear part of a
characteristic curve may serve as part of the high-pass
filter-and-amplifier 11. The high-pass filter-and-amplifier 11 includes
transistor T1, with biasing resistors R1 and R2. Additionally, collector
resistor R3 and emitter resistor R4 serve to bias the transistor T1 into
the linear part of its characteristic curve.
The postcorrection phase-and-gain restorer 12 restores a signal level of
the inverted-filtered video signal. The output of the postcorrection
phase-and-gain restorer 12 is the restored video signal. The
postcorrection phase-and-gain restorer 12 may be embodied as a resistor
R12, which can adjust the signal level of the inverted-filtered video
signal.
The wideband-video delay line 13 delays the video signal by an odd-integer
multiple of a half-cycle, or more, at the subcarrier frequency.
Preferably, the wideband-video delay line 13 delays the video signal by a
half-cycle, or more, at the subcarrier frequency. As shown in FIG. 2, the
wideband-video delay line 13 is embodied as delay line L1 coupled through
resistor R5 and coupling capacitor C1 to the input.
A buffer circuit may buffer the delayed video signal from the output of the
wideband-video delay line 13. As shown in FIG. 2, the buffer may be
embodied as a transistor T2 coupled to base resistor RG, and emitter
resistor R7. Transistor T2 is shown as an emitter-follower circuit, having
a gain of approximately one.
The precorrection phase-and-gain restorer 14 restores a signal level of the
delayed video signal to the restored-signal level. In FIG. 2, the
precorrection phase-and-gain restorer 14 is embodied as resistor R13,
which adjusts the signal level of the delayed video signal.
The combining network 15 combines the restored video signal and the delayed
video signal. The output of the combining network 15 is the composite
video signal. The combining network 15 is shown in FIG. 2 as resistor R11,
R12, R9, R13, coupled to the emitter of transistor T3. Coupling capacitor
C8 couples the postcorrection phase-and-gain restorer to the output of
transistor T1, and the capacitor C6 couples the precorrection
phase-and-gain restorer to transistor T2. Inductor L2 and capacitor C9
filter the restored video signal. Inductor L3 and capacitor C7 filter the
delayed video signal.
The voltage amplifier 16 is shown as transistor T3. Transistor T3 has
biasing resistors R15, R16, and collector resistor R17.
The low-impedance amplifier 17 is shown as transistor T4 with its base
connected to the collector of transistor T3. Transistor T4 is an
emitter-follower circuit, and serves as a low-impedance amplifier.
As illustratively shown in FIG. 1, a NTSC video signal is received by the
initial-video processor from any source and the video input passes to a
high-pass filter-and-amplifier 11, while simultaneously being diverted to
a wideband-video delay line 13. A corrupted video signal is shown in FIG.
3.
The high-pass filter-and-amplifier 11 filters the video frequency with a
bandwidth characteristic inverse to a low-pass characteristic encountered
by the video signal during its transmission or recording playback. The
filtered video signal also is amplified and inverted. Postcorrection
phase-and-gain restorer 12 restores a signal level to the
inverted-filtered video signal. The output of the postcorrection
phase-and-gain restorer 12 is the restored video signal.
The high-pass filter-and-amplifier 11 samples the high-frequency components
of the video input and inverts the high-frequency components 180.degree.
out of phase, while amplifying them. Simultaneously, the identical video
input is passed through a variable, wideband-video delay line 13 adjusted
to the additive-inverted amplifier-signal output, delaying the entire
video signal. The video signal is delayed by a half-cycle, or more, of a
subcarrier frequency.
Both signals are then fed, respectively, to a postcorrection phase-and-gain
restorer 12 and to a precorrection phase-and-gain restorer 141 both of
which are adjusted to correct the leading and lagging edges of the
high-frequency components. Using a portion of the shape of the standard
synchronization tip of the original video signal as a reference,
postcorrection phase-and-gain restorer 12 and precorrection phase-and-gain
restorer 14 drive the combining network 15 to adjust the signal from the
high-pass filter-and-amplifier 11 for composite symmetry, and adjust the
signal from the wideband-video delay line 13 to correct the tilt of the
low-frequency components. Thus, the non-delayed signal pre-phases the
delayed signal, forming a corrected-composite signal.
The information in the delay line is adjusted to delay the composite
information by one-half cycle, or more, of 3.579545 MHz for NTSC systems,
so that when the wideband inverted-amplified information is added back to
the composite-delayed information, the information in the wideband
inverted-amplified signal is in phase, i.e., additive, with the 3.579545
MHz components of the composite-delayed information.
The combining network 15 combines the restored video signal from the
postcorrection phase-and-gain restorer 12 and the delayed video signal
from the precorrection phase-and-gain restorer 14, to generate the
composite video signal. The composite video signal has a corrected
waveform as shown in FIG. 4.
The corrected-composite video signal is then passed through a voltage
amplifier 16 to restore the video amplitude of the composite-video
information, then passed through a low-impedance amplifier 17 to maintain
the integrity of the correction, then to a push-pull low-impedance
output-video amplifier 19 which evaluates the signal and interacts with a
black-stretch and synchronization shaper 18 which adds back amplitude to
the synchronization tip and gamma corrects the video information in the
black areas for restored video output.
The voltage amplifier 16 amplifies the composite video signal from the
combining network 15. The low-impedance amplifier 17 matches impedances of
the amplified-composite video signal from the voltage amplifier 16. The
output-video amplifier 19 further amplifies the signal from the
low-impedance amplifier 17.
To further automate the image processor to effect real-time compensation
for response time and group delays, a white signal may be used. A
full-white signal of fixed duration is inserted at a line position of the
vertical-blanking interval. This white signal will have a known duration,
a known horizontal dot-clock position and a known vertical-line position.
The image processor will start a time measurement at the precise
line-and-dot-clock position defined. Four time measurements are made based
on the white signal.
The first measurement, start time, begins at the dot-clock position and
runs to the point that the leading edge of the white signal crosses a
fixed-reference point at 10% of full scale of the transition level. The
second measurement, rise time, determines the time required for the
leading edge to rise to a second fixed-reference point at 90% of full
scale of the transition level. The third measurement, duration, is the
period of time which the white signal exists above the 90% fixed-reference
point from the leading edge to the trailing edge of the signal. The fourth
measurement, fall time, is the time required for the white signal to fall
from the 90% level back to the 10% level on the trailing edge. These
measurements may be used to help correct for the group delay and system
response.
The present invention also includes a method, using the initial-video
processor, for compensating for accumulated phase-and-gain errors
encountered during transmission of the video signal over the transmission
channel. The method, as shown in FIG. 5, includes the steps of high-pass
filtering 51 the video signal with a bandwidth characteristic inverse to a
low-pass characteristic encountered during transmission of the video
signal. The steps further include inverting 52 the filtered video signal
to generate an inverted-filtered video signal. Also, the video signal is
delayed 54 by at least a half-cycle. The delayed video signal and the
inverted-filtered video signal are combined 59 to generate a composite
video signal.
The method may further include the steps of restoring 53 the
inverted-filtered video signal to a restored-signal level, and restoring
55 the delayed video signal to the restored-signal level. The restored
inverted-filtered video signal and the restored delayed video signal,
which both have a signal level approximately equal to the restored-signal
level, are then combined 59 to generate the composite video signal.
The Digital Processor
The digital-processing means reshapes or reprocesses the composite video
signal to re-establish PAL, NTSC, SECAM or other world-wide broadcast
standard with time-base correction. As illustratively shown in FIG. 6, the
digital processor 75 includes the input-video processor 63, the
feature-video processor 64, the frame buffer 76, the RGB-output processor
65, the output-video processor 69, and the control processor 72. The
control processor 72 may receive input from a switch input 73 and/or from
a computer input 74. The outputs from the RGB-output processor 65 may be
filtered to produce red video output 66, green video output 67, and blue
video output 68. The RGB-output processor also outputs digital RGB signals
to the output-video processor 69 which encodes RGB into an analog
composite video signal 70 and an analog component video signal 71. The
input-video processor 63 of the digital processor 75 is connected to the
output of the initial-video processor 62.
Input-Video Processor
The input-video processor converts analog chrominance, luminance or
composite inputs, as well as digital-component inputs, through
analog-to-digital converters to generate digital signals. The input-video
processor receives the composite video signal output by the initial-video
processor and converts the composite video signal to a digital signal to
generate digital-component signal information. The input-video processor
digitizes the information to feed the video-output stages, whether
composite, component, or RGB, in 8-bit code. The code may be generated in
10-bit or 12-bit sequences, or any other format known in the art.
The input-video processor in the preferred embodiment includes a plurality
of video-input analog-to-digital converters, a digital decoder, a digital
encoder, and a clock generator.
Feature-Video Processor
The feature-video processor receives the digital-component
signal-information output from the input-video processor and processes the
digital-component signal information for video-information enhancement.
The feature-video processor may be used to contour video information,
reduce noise in the video information, bandpass-equalize the video
information using a plurality of filters, and/or encode 4:2:2, 4:1:1, or
8:4:4 PAL or NTSC standards to generate processed component video
information.
Frame Buffer
Video-memory means is embodied as a frame buffer. The video memory means
could also be embodied as a video random-access memory (RAM), an EEPROM,
or any other equivalent memory device or combination of memory devices, as
is well known in the art. The frame buffer receives the processed
component video information and stores a single frame of video during
processing for retiming the video frame. The frame buffer also
re-establishes NTSC, PAL, SECAM or other selected broadcast timing
standards in the processed component video information to generate
time-base corrected digital signal information. The frame buffer is a
continuation of the input-video processor with respect to time-base
correction.
RGB-Output Processor
The RGB-output processor converts the time-base corrected digital
information to an analog format such as RGB for direct output. Through the
use of a plurality of video-output filters, the RGB-output processor also
generates digital RGB-video output to the output-video processor.
Output-Video Processor
The primary function of the output-video processor is to reconstruct the
digital RGB-signal from the RGB-output processor into an analog-signal
format. The output-video processor re-encodes RGB into analog-composite
video and/or analog-component video. In the preferred embodiment the
output-video processor includes a digital-to-analog converter, a
digital-video encoder, a digital-space converter, an analog-input
analog-to-digital converter for genlock, and a clock generator.
The output-video processor can also add chrominance enhancement. For RGB
format, for example, a look-up table (LUT) may be used by the output-video
processor in place of an analog-to-digital converter. Values in the LUT
may be modified by the control processor, directly by the user, or using
any other technique. Once these signals are stored, they can be reset in
the various processors.
The output-video processor also has a series of analog filters to enhance
an edge or roll off an edge and to compensate for distortion caused by
broadcast equipment.
Control Processor
The control processor provides controlling and monitoring functions. The
control processor addresses the input-video processor, the feature-video
processor, and the output-video processor, and can send messages
monitoring the on-line status of these processors. The control processor
can embed information in the vertical-blanking interval to send control
information to the feature-video processor or to a downlink.
The control processor also determines the parameters that are used by the
input-video processor, the feature-video processor, and the output-video
processor, and may update these parameters in response to switch inputs or
to an external computer. The parameters may representatively include burst
phase, chroma levels, picture sharpness, noise reduction, and adjustments
to the plurality of filters used to bandpass-equalize the video
information. The parameters can be checked by looking at the display
screen, a vector scope, or other device.
The control processor includes a control-processor memory and an EEPROM. A
set of default parameters is stored in the control-processor memory. The
control-processor memory is a hard-coded memory that can only be changed
by replacement of the control processor with a new control processor
having new default parameters. The EEPROM is used to store a changeable
set of the same parameters.
The set of parameters stored in the EEPROM is verified using a warm-start
pattern; the warm-start pattern may be stored in the EEPROM or on a disk
in a remote computer. At power up or upon reset, the EEPROM warm-start
pattern is read. If the pattern is valid, then the parameter set stored in
the EEPROM is loaded into the input-video processor, the feature-video
processor, and the output-video processor. If the warm-start pattern is
not valid, then the parameter set hard-coded into the control-processor
memory is used by the input-video processor, the feature-video processor,
and the output-video processor. The warm-start pattern, which is set up by
the EEPROM, allows the control processor to operate in a stand-alone
default mode on power-up when there are no other switch or computer inputs
to provide parameter information.
As shown in FIG. 7, upon power-up or reset the control processor
initializes 80 the digital processor. Initialization includes loading the
default set of parameters stored in the control-processor memory. If there
are no inputs from the digital switch input 73 (FIG. 6) or from the
computer input 74 (FIG. 6), then the control processor addresses 81 the
input-video processor, the feature-video processor, and the output-video
processor. The control processor then reads 82 the warm-start pattern
stored in the EEPROM or stored on disk in a remote computer. If the
warm-start pattern is valid 83, then the control processor loads 84 the
set of parameters stored in the EEPROM or in the remote computer into the
input-video processor, the feature-video processor, and the output-video
processor. The control processor then idles 85 for inputs. If the
warm-start pattern is not valid 83, then the default parameters are loaded
86 and the control processor idles 85 for inputs.
A warm-start pattern is used to verify the validity of a program or a set
of parameters stored in the EEPROM or on a disk in a remote computer. The
storage pattern is typically a byte (eight bits) of data. With eight bits,
there are 256 possible combinations. A bit pattern of 10100101 is read as
0.times.A5 or as A5 hexadecimal. The probability of the exact pattern
existing in a fixed memory location by accident is at least 1 in 256.
Writing a fixed pattern to multiple-byte locations increases the
probability by 2 to-the-power-of bit locations. Using four consecutive
bytes for a total of 32 bits, or 2 to-the-32nd power, equates to
4,294,967,296 possible combinations.
By writing a known bit pattern to four consecutive bytes in the EEPROM each
time the stored parameters are updated, the validity of the parameters may
be verified on the next start up. On power up or upon reset, the four
bytes of data are read and each byte is compared with a hard-coded
pattern. If all four bytes match, the stored parameters are valid and are
loaded into the input-video processor, the feature-video processor, and
the output-video processor. If all four bytes do not match, the controller
processor instructs the input-video processor, the feature-video
processor, and the output-video processor to proceed with the default set
of parameters hard-coded in the control-processor memory.
The present invention also includes a method for implementing front-panel
adjustments to the parameters. The parameters may representatively include
burst phase, chroma levels, picture sharpness, noise reduction, and
adjustments to the plurality of filters used to bandpass-equalize the
video information. As shown in FIG. 8, when the control processor receives
inputs from the switch 73 or the computer 74 (FIG. 6), the control
processor initializes 88 the input-video processor, the feature-video
processor, and the output-video processor and then reads 89 the switch or
computer inputs. The control processor then selects 90 a parameter to
modify and increments or decrements 91 the selected parameter. The new
parameter is stored 92 in the EEPROM or the remote computer and then
downloaded 94 to the addressed processor. The control processor then tests
95 for final parameters and may loop 93 for new parameter inputs. When the
final parameters have been tested, the control processor writes 96
warm-start patterns to the EEPROM or the remote computer, and idles 97 for
inputs.
In use, the control processor 72 controls the parameters used by the
input-video processor, the feature-video processor, and the output-video
processor in processing the digital-component signal information and
re-establishing broadcast standards in the processed component video
information. These parameters may have the default values stored in the
control-processor memory or may have values input from the switch input 73
and/or the computer input 74. A user may control the switch input and the
computer input to modify the parameter values in response to the nature
and extent of video distortion as seen on a display screen or other user
interface medium. This ability to interactively modify the parameters in
response to actual signal-quality degradations enables the user, through
the digital processor, to generate an improved-output signal better in
quality than the video signal as originally transmitted.
Parameter values modified by the user may be stored in the EEPROM or in the
external computer. The stored-parameter values may be reused by
verification of the warm-start pattern written to the EEPROM or the
external computer when the digital processor is used again at a later
time.
Through adjustment of the code that controls the input-video processor, the
feature-video processor, and the output-video processor, the quality of
the video signal corrected by the initial-video processor 62 as a
composite video signal may be enhanced. The ability to control the code
responsible for driving the input-video processor, the feature-video
processor, and the output-video processor enables the user to
interactively improve the composite video signal in a way not possible in
the prior art.
In use of the method of improving a transmitted video signal as set forth
in FIG. 9 using the image-processor system as shown in FIG. 6, a video
signal is received through a video input 61 into the initial-video
processor 62. The video signal may be distorted and degraded as the result
of changes in the waveform occurring during transmission. The
initial-video processor 62 normalizes the distorted video signal to
correct for chrominance-group delays, luminance-group delays, and
differential phase-and-gain incurred during recording and/or transmission
of the video signal.
The initial-video processor normalizes the distorted video signal by
high-pass filtering 110 the input video and inverting 111 the filtered
video to generate an inverted-filtered video signal. The initial-video
processor also delays 112 the input video by a half-cycle, or more, as a
delayed video signal. The delayed video signal and the inverted-filtered
video signal are combined 113 to generate a composite video signal.
The composite video signal is input to the input-video processor 63. The
input-video processor converts 114 the composite video signal to a digital
signal as digital-component signal information.
The digital-component signal information is input to the feature-video
processor 64 and processed 115 to generate processed component video
information. Processing 115 by the feature-video processor may include
contouring the video information, reducing noise in the video information,
bandpass-equalizing the video information, and encoding the video
information with 4:2:2, 4:1:1, or 8:4:4 PAL or NTSC standards to generate
processed component video information.
The processed component video information is input to the frame buffer. The
frame buffer re-establishes 116 broadcast timing standards in the
processed component video information to generate time-base corrected
digital information.
The time-base corrected digital information is input to the RGB-output
processor. The RGB-output processor decodes 117 the time-base corrected
digital information to generate analog RGB outputs and digital RGB
outputs.
The analog RGB outputs are output 118 directly. The digital RGB outputs are
input to the output-video processor where the digital RGB outputs are
reconstructed 119 to an analog format and re-encoded to generate analog
composite or analog component video outputs from the digital processor.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications
can be made to the image-processor system of the instant invention without
departing from the scope or spirit of the invention, and it is intended
that the present invention cover modifications and variations of the
image-processor system provided they come within the scope of the appended
claims and their equivalents.
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